


Saccharine

by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, look i don't usually write Voltron but it's a special occasion, so i did my best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-11-08
Packaged: 2019-01-30 23:39:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12663807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead/pseuds/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead
Summary: Matt is reunited with Shiro.





	Saccharine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A_Sirens_Lullaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Sirens_Lullaby/gifts).



> For my partner in crime, who only wants Matt to be happy.  
> Happy Birthday!

The alien princess was beautiful, that was certain, and for a moment, Matt was caught up in the spell of her soft hair, her friendly but determined eyes. 

But then someone else stole his attention. Someone that the mere sight of filled Matt’s mind with memories of stolen kisses during training and tucked away where hopefully his father wouldn’t come looking on a spaceship not really big enough for two people to hide a relationship from a third. Someone who Matt had never thought he’d see again. Someone who was watching him with relief, a smile curling his lips. 

Shiro. 

Matt wanted nothing more than to surge forward and throw himself into Shiro’s arms, to examine every inch of him to assure himself that Shiro was really there, alive and seemingly in one piece and happy to see him, but he couldn’t do that. Matt was acutely aware of his sister’s gaze on him, the weight of her stare only growing heavier as the other Paladins noticed Shiro’s presence and Matt’s reaction to it. 

Matt forced himself to walk toward Shiro, not sprint. He made himself hold out his hand for a professional handshake; he didn’t know what Shiro might have told the others. He didn’t even know exactly they were; it had been a  _ long _ time since they were captured, since Shiro injured him to keep him out of the gladiator arena. For all Matt knew, Shiro had found someone else, or at least moved on. 

So when Shiro’s metal hand closed around his own, two things surprised Matt: the  _ metal hand  _ bit and Shiro pulling him in for a hug. 

“I missed you,” Shiro whispered, his voice low enough that only Matt would hear. Matt let himself relax into Shiro’s hold for a moment. 

“Missed you too,” he murmured. “Thought you were dead.” 

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” Shiro laughed as Matt made himself step back. 

_ “I wouldn’t want to,” _ was on the tip of Matt’s tongue, but he bit the inside of his cheek to keep the words in. 

They went into the castle, Pidge dragging him away from Shiro to give him a tour. Matt didn’t mind; he’d missed his sister just as much as he’d missed Shiro, maybe more. Besides, he was sure he’d have a chance to talk to Shiro later.

* * *

 

Matt stared up at the ceiling. It was plain, not so different from the little nook of his listening outpost where he'd set up a cot to sleep on. The sounds around him were different, though. He couldn't help noticing the way the castle seemed to hum, everything vibrating just slightly with the energy that flowed through the walls. There was no crackle of the computers with the open channels he monitored. Instead, there was only that faint hum and the sound of voices outside his door as Lance and Hunk snuck past his door for a late night snack.

The bed was softer than he was used to, and the blankets were, too. He'd eaten better at the one meal he'd shared with the Paladins than he had in two or three days at his outpost. It was odd, feeling so full, so warm, so...comfortable.

It was too strange for him to fall asleep. He dozed, the exhaustion from the emotional roller coaster of the day - an intruder who turned out to be his little sister, then an intruder who attacked them, finding out his sister was a Paladin of Voltron, meeting the others, seeing Shiro again - enough to wear him out but not quite enough to let him truly rest.

A soft knock at his door had him rolling off his bed, seizing the staff that rested against the wall near his head. He crouched, keeping his breath even, and waited.

"Matt? Are you awake?" He knew that voice - Shiro. Oh, yeah. Right. He was in the castle. Someone knocking meant a visitor, not an attacker. Matt shook himself and leaned the staff against the wall again, then crossed the room and opened the door.

"Hey, Shiro. What's up?" Matt asked, trying for his usual cheerful tone.

"Just wanted to check on you. I know it took me a while to get used to sleeping here," Shiro explained. Matt shrugged and stepped back, inviting Shiro in with a sweep of his hand. Shiro moved into the room and sat on the bed.

"Yeah, I'm not used to sleeping somewhere so..." Matt hesitated, wondering if what he was thinking made sense at all.

"The bed's too soft," Shiro guessed. "And you're probably too full." Matt blinked, surprise sweeping over him. Then he realized of  _ course _ Shiro understood. Shiro's sleeping and eating habits had probably been even worse than Matt's when he joined the Paladins, since Shiro had been in a gladiator, while Matt had been rescued and spent his time in a listening post. "You know what helped me?"

"What?" Matt tilted his head. Shiro grinned and stood, then turned and pulled the blankets off of Matt's bed and dropped them in a heap on the floor.

"Compromise. Take these nice soft blankets and sleep on the floor for a night or two. Then move back to the bed," Shiro advised. "It'll still be warmer than you're used to, and you'll still feel bloated from all that food, but being on the floor might help." 

Matt let out a short laugh."I should've thought of that," he mused. 

Shiro shrugged and knelt to spread the blankets, folding them to make a pallet. Matt sat on the folded blankets and immediately relaxed. He could feel the gentle vibrations a lot more, but the floor didn't give way stressfully beneath him. "Thanks, Shiro." Shiro smiled and reached out to cup Matt's cheek with his human hand.

"I want you to be comfortable here," Shiro told him. Matt grinned and impulsively leaned forward and threw his arms around Shiro's neck.

"Of course I'm comfortable here. I've got you and Pidge," he said. Shiro chuckled and wrapped his arms around Matt, pulling him closer, until Matt was on Shiro's lap.

"Is this okay?" Shiro asked, his metal hand infinitely more gentle than Matt expected as it rubbed his back soothingly. Matt sighed and leaned against Shiro's chest.

"Yeah. I really missed you, you know," he admitted.

"Do you want to...?" Shiro broke off, the scar across his nose highlighted by his faint blush.

"If you want to give this whole together thing another try, then absolutely," Matt answered, tilting his head up to watch Shiro flounder.

"Ah, okay. That's. That's good," Shiro muttered. Matt couldn't stop the huge, probably dorky grin that stretched across his face. He finally regained control of his expression enough to press a tentative kiss to the corner of Shiro's mouth, then settled back in Shiro's arms to watch him turn red once more.

Matt yawned, the security of Shiro's arms around him more than enough to make up for the newsness of his surroundings. Shiro's fingers combed through his hair, and Matt's eyelids fluttered closed.

"Stay?" Matt mumbled, sleepiness washing over him without warning. He felt himself being lowered to the blankets, then Shiro settling beside him and sliding his arms around him again.

"Of course," Shiro agreed softly. "Get some sleep, Matt. I'll be right here when you wake up." Gentle lips pressed to his temple as Matt drifted off, only briefly wondering if he'd wake up and discover that the whole day had been a dream.

He hoped not; he was kind of looking forward to his little sister's reaction when he told her that he and Shiro were together.

 


End file.
